Nozzle adjustment for suction cleaners



May 11, 1954 DAlGER 2,677,845

NOZZLE ADJUSTMENT FOR SUCTION CLEANERS Filed Oct. 25, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l I IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII,"III,

INVENTOR. Gee/ye)? flayer TTORNEY.

May 11, 1954 e. P. DAIGER NOZZLE ADJUSTMENT FOR SUCTION CLEANERS Filed 001;. 25, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 6001:9121? fla'lyel' BY ATTORNEY.

Patented May 11, 1954 NOZZLE ADJUSTMENT FOR SUCTION CLEANERS George P. Daiger, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a, corporation of Ohio Application October 25, 1949, Serial No. 123,516

6-Claims. 1

This invention relates to suction cleaners and more particularly to improvements in nozzle height positioning means in a suction cleaner.

Suction cleaners are usually provided with a nozzle height adjusting device which is manually adjusted. A disadvantage of this type of manual nozzle adjustment is that the operator unknowingly mis-sets the device by adjusting the nozzle to a higher position than required and thereafter continues to use the cleaner with the nozzle improperly adjusted. In the suction cleaner constructed according to the present invention a normal nozzle height position is provided for optimum cleaning efiiciency for a relatively wide range of rugs, and a manual device is provided for moving the nozzle to a higher adjusted position for extremely thick rugs. The manual device is rendered inoperative when the cleaner handle is moved to a rest or storage position and the nozzle is automatically preset to return to its normal position upon movement of the handle into its operating range. Thus the operator can not continue to use the cleaner with the nozzle adjusted to a higher position than is required.

It is an object of the invention to provide a novel and improved suction cleaner. Another object is to provide a nozzle height adjusting device in a suction cleaner. A further object is to provide a suction cleaner having a normal nozzle position for all but extremely thick rugs, an adjusted nozzle position for extremely thick surface coverings and means to automatically readjust the nozzle to its normal nozzle position. Another object is to provide a suction cleaner wherein the nozzle is automatically returned from its high adjusted position to its lower normal operating position upon movement of the cleaner handle from its rest position. Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a bottom view of the cleaner with parts broken away;

Figure 2 is a view taken along the line 22 of Figure 1 and showing the nozzle in its normal position;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the nozzle adjusting means in its high position to adjust the nozzle for extremely thick rugs, and also shows in dotted lines the handle in a rest position to raise the nozzle a greater distance from the rug; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the nozzle adjusting device.

The embodiment of the invention herein disclosed comprises a cleaner body provided with a nozzle H), from which extends an air passageway II and a belt conduit l2 each terminating in a trunnion l3 on which is rotatably mounted a motor fan unit l4- having a fan chamber !5 provided with an inlet 56. Disposed in the fan chamber I5 is a suction creating fan I! driven by an unshown motor having its shaft provided at its opposite end with a belt pulley l8 projecting into the belt conduit It. A belt !9 extends from the pulley i3 through the conduit E2 to a surface agitator 2t rotatably mounted in the nozzle ill. An opening 25 is provided in the suction air passageway H opposite the fan chamber inlet It for reception of an unshown converter when it is desired to employ the cleaner for offthe-iloor cleaning. A cover 22 normally closes the port 25. Extending from the fan chamber i5 is an outlet 23 to which the lower end of a dirt filtering bag 2 is connected and the latter is attached at its upper end to a handle 25 supported on the housing of the motor fan unit I4.

The combined handle 25 and motor fan unit it are yieldably held in the low position shown in Figure 2 and in rest position shown in dotted lines in Figure 3 by a spring-pressed lever 2! rotatably mounted on the stationary portion of the cleaner body and provided with a roller 28 which rides upon an arcuate sector 29 formed on the motor-fan housing, and the sector 29 is provided with seats 38 and 3!. When the handle 25 is in its lower position the roller 28 is in the Seat 3!] and when in storage position the roller engages the seat 3! to retain the handle in these positions unless an external force is exerted thereon.

The cleaner body is supported on front wheels 33-33 and rear wheels 3434 the latter being mounted on brackets 35 extending from the cleaner body. The treads of the front wheels 33 ar relatively broad in comparison to the rear wheels 34 and this combination of wheel treads provides automatic adjustment of the nozzle III for a wide range of rugs. The front wheels 33 are rotatably mounted on the offset ends 36 and 3'! of a shaft 38 having other offset portions 3939 which are rotatably attached to the cleaner body by brackets if] and M.

The mid-portion it of the shaft 33 is angularly offset downwardly with respect to the shaft portions 39, and a spring M forming part of the bracket 48 bears against the shaft portion 43 to rotate the shaft clockwise, as viewed in Figure 2. about its pivotal axis 39 and thus move the front wheels 33 toward normal nozzle position.

Cooperating with the wheel shaft 38 is a foot operated nozzle adjusting device comprising a lever 45 pivotally mounted on a pin 46 supported by a lug 4'! and the side Wall 48 of the cleaner body, and the lever projects through a slot 49 in the body and is provided at its outer end with a pad 55 to receive the operators foot. A torsion spring 5: normally urges the lever 45 clockwise, as viewed in Figure 2, against the upper stop limit 52 of the slot 49.

An elongated slot 53 is provided at the inner end of the lever 45 and rotatably receives a pin 54 mounted at one end on a sector 55 pivotally supported on a pin 5'6 attached to the body side wall 43. Two seats 5'! and 58 are formed in the sector 55 for engagement with the offset portion 3-! of the wheel shaft 33, and when the latter is in the seat 5? the nozzle is adjusted in its normal position relative to the rug indicated at 55, as shown in Figure 2, and when the seat 58 receives the shaft end 31 the wheels 3333 are moved downwardly to raise the nozzl to its adjusted position relative to the rug BI, shown in Figure 3, for cleaning extremely thick rugs.

In order to raise the nozzle and the agitator 2G to an inoperative position relative to the supporting surface a member 65 is rigidly attached to the offset portion 39 of the wheel shaft 38 and extends into the path of a pin 68 mounted on the housing of the rotatable motor fan unit 44. When the handle is rotated through its normal operating range the pin 86 does not contact the member 55, but upon moving the handle 25 to its rest or storage position shown in dotted lines in Figure 3, the pin 55 engages the member 65 to rotate the wheel shaft counterclockwise and lower the front wheels 33 to thereby raise the nozzle i0 and agitator 2D to an inoperative position with reference to the rug indicated at 61.

In the operation of the cleaner on all but extremely thick rugs the manual nozzle adjusting device is in its normal position shown in Figure 2 with the lever 45 urged by the spring 5! against the top 52 of the slot 49 and the sector seat 5'! resting against the offset portion 3'! of the wheel shaft, to thereby maintain the front wheels 33 and the nozzle is in their normal positions. The shaft spring 44 exerts a force on the lowest offset portion 43 of the wheel shaft 58 to rotate the latter clockwise as viewed in Figure 2 to urge the wheel shaft offset 3'! into the sector seat 51. In this normal position of the nozzle E6 the broad and narrow wheels 33 and 34 respectively maintain the nozzle ill at an optimum nozzle height for rugs of different pile depth except for extremely thick rugs.

The sector seat 51 maintains the front wheels 33 in their normal nozzle position during movement of the handle 25 throughout its normal operating range while moving the nozzle ll! over the rug being cleaned. If the handle 25 is moved to its storage position the pin 66 on the motor fan unit housing engages the member 65 causing the wheel shaft 38 to rotate counterclockwise, as viewed in Figure 2, about its pivotal axis 35 and disengages the wheel shaft offset 37 from the sector seat 5'! to lower the front wheel 33 and raise the nozzle It and also the agitator 29 out of operating engagement with the rug. In this inoperative position of the nozzle 1 0 the cover plate 22 can be removed and a converter inserted through the port 2| for connection with the fan eye I 6 to convert the cleaner for off-thefloor cleaning. While the handle 25 is in storage position the sector seat 51 is retained in its normal nozzle position by the spring 5| maintaining the lever 45 in the same position against the top 52 of the slot 49 so that the sector seat 51 is positioned to receive the wheel shaft offset 31. Upon movement of the handle 25 from its storage position into its operating range the pin 56 moves out of engagement with the member 65 to permit the shaft spring 44 to rotate the wheel shaft clockwise, as viewed in Figure 2, and move the shaft offset 31 into engagement with the sector seat 51 and thus reset the nozzle if! to its normal nozzle position.

If it is desired to clean an extremely thick rug the operator places his foot on the pad 55 depressing the lever 45 against the force of the spring 5| and rotating the sector 55 clockwise to the position shown in Figure 3, whereby the sector seat 58 receives the wheel shaft offset 31 and rotates the shaft 38 counterclockwise about its axis 59 to thereby lower the front wheels 33 and raise the nozzle H) to its adjusted nozzle position with reference to the extremely thick rug $1. In this position of the sector 55 the spring 5i urges the sector seat 58 against the shaft offset 31 to retain the latter in adjusted position, and the shaft spring 44 exerts a force against the lowest wheel shaft offset 43 to assist in seating the shaft offset 31 in the sector seat 58.

Referring to Figure 3, upon movement of the handle 25 from its operating range to its storage position the pin 66 engages the member 65 which rotates the wheel shaft offset 31 counterclockwise to lower the front wheels 35 to their dotted line position and thus the nozzle [0 and agitator 25 are raised and held out of operating engagement with the rug 61. The spring-pressed roller 28 engages the seat 3| to hold the motor fan unit and handle in storage position. Upon movement of the handle 25 to its storage position, the wheel shaft portion 3! moves out of the sector seat 58 to its dotted line postion, and thereafter the sector 55 is automatically rotated counterclockwise by the torsion spring 5! to reset the sector seat 51 in position to receive the wheel shaft portion 37 for rearranging the nozzle to its normal position when the handle 25 is moved into its operating range. The sector 55 is controlled in its movement to its reset normal nozzle position by the lever 45 abutting the stop 52 at the top of the slot 49. Upon movement of the handle 25 from storage position into its operating range the pin 56 is disengaged from the member 65 and the shaft spring 44 exerts a force on the lowest offset shaft portion 43 to rotate the shaft clockwise and raise the front wheels until the wheel shaft portion 31 is received in the sector seat 51 to again reset the nozzle ID to its normal position.

From the foregoing it will be perceived that when the lever 45 is depressed to move the sector seat 58 into engagement with the wheel shaft portion 31 the nozzle I O is raised to its adjusted position for cleaning extremely thick rugs. Thereafter if the handle is moved to storage position the sector 55 is automatically shifted to be in position to receive the wheel shaft portion 3'! and thus reset the nozzle to its normal nozzle position upon movement of the handle into its operating range. The operator thus lowers the nozzle H) from a previously set high position upon moving the handle into and out of storage position, and prevents continued use of the nozzle in high adjusted position. If the high nozzle position is required the operator depresses the lever 45.

While I have shown and described but a single modification of my invention, it is to be understood that this modification is to be taken as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense. I do not Wish to be limited to the particular structures shown and described, but to include all equivalent variations thereof except as limited by the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a suction cleaner, a body, a nozzle on said body, nozzle adjusting means including normal nozzle positioning means and adjusted nozzle positioning means to move said nozzle to normal and adjusted positions with respect to the fioor covering being cleaned, first means on said body for moving said nozzle to an inoperative nozzle position with respect to the floor covering, latching means on said body for maintaining said nozzle in said inoperative position, said first means disconnecting said adjusted nozzle positioning means when said nozzle is in said inoperative position, and means shifting said normal nozzle positioning means into operative position for readjusting said nozzle to said normal nozzle position when said nozzle is moved from its inoperative position.

2. In a suction cleaner, a body, a nozzle on said body, nozzle adjusting means including means supporting said nozzle with respect to the floor covering being cleaned and normal nozzle positioning means and adjusted nozzle positioning means for relative adjustment of said body and said supporting means to move said nozzle to normal and adjusted positions with respect to the floor covering, first means on said body for raising said nozzle to an inoperative position with respect to the floor covering, said first means disconnecting said adjusted nozzle positioning means with respect to said supporting means, and means operable upon movement of said nozzle to its inoperative position to shift said normal nozzle positionin means into operative position with respect to said supporting means for readjusting said nozzle to said normal nozzle position when said nozzle is moved from its inoperative position.

3. In a suction cleaner, a body, a nozzle on said body, nozzle adjusting means including normal nozzle positioning means and adjusted nozzle positioning means to move said nozzle to normal and adjusted positions with respect to the floor covering being cleaned, a handle mounted on said body and movable to and from a position of rest, means actuated by said handle for raising said nozzle to an inoperative position with respect to the floor covering when said handle is moved to its said rest position, said means operatively connected with said nozzle adjusting means to disconnect the latter when said handle is in its rest position, and means operable when said handle is moved to its said rest position to render said adjusted nozzle positioning means inoperative and said normal nozzle positioning means operative for normal nozzle position upon movement of said handle from its said rest position.

4. In a suction cleaner, a body, a nozzle on said body, nozzle adjusting means including means supporting said nozzle with respect to the floor covering being cleaned and normal nozzle positioning means and adjusted nozzle positioning means for relative adjustment of said body and said supporting means to move said nozzle to normal and adjusted nozzle positions with respect to the floor covering, a handle mounted on said body and movable to and from a rest position, means actuated by said handle for moving said supporting means to raise said nozzle to an inoperative position with respect to the floor covering when said handle is in its said rest position, said means disconnecting said nozzle adjusting means when said handle is in said rest position, and means operable when said handle is in its said rest position to render said adjusted nozzle positioning means inoperative and said normal nozzle positioning means operative with said supporting means for normal nozzle position upon movement of said handle from its rest position.

5. In a suction cleaner, a body, a nozzle on said body, wheel supporting means on said body for supporting said nozzle with respect to the floor covering to be cleaned, nozzle control means including normal nozzle positioning means and adjusted nozzle positioning means cooperating with said wheel supporting means to adjust said nozzle to its normal and adjusted positions with respect to the floor covering, means for moving said nozzle control means to its normal and adjusted nozzle positions, a handle on said body and movable to and from a position of rest, means actuated by said handle to render said nozzle control means in operative with respect to said wheel supporting means when said handle is moved to said rest position, and means automatically operable upon movement of said handle to said rest position to shift said normal nozzle positioning means into position to cooperate with said Wheel supporting means upon movement of said handle from its rest position to shift said nozzle to its normal position.

6. In a suction cleaner, a body, suction creating means in said body, a nozzle connected with the fan chamber of said suction creating means, nozzle supporting means, means for converting said suction creating means for dusting tool operation including a port leading to said fan chamber and adapted to receive a converter member, normal nozzle positioning means and adjusted nozzle positioning means to move said nozzle to normal and. adjusted positions with respect to the floor covering being cleaned, means on said body conneotible with said nozzle supporting means for moving said nozzle to and from converter operating position to receive the converter member when in converter operating position, said means disconnecting said adjusted nozzle positioning means when said nozzle is in converter operating position, and means automatically operable upon movement of said nozzle to its said converter operating position to render said disconnected adjusted nozzle positioning means inoperative and shift said normal nozzle positioning means into operative position for readjusting said nozzle to said normal position when said nozzle is moved from its converter operating position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,178,006 Taylor Oct. 31, 1939 2,389,877 Snyder Nov. 27, 1945 2,485,363 Coss Oct. 18, 1949 

